Apple Launch Event 2018: Everything You Need To Know

Did the 2018 iPhone launches leave you breathless or exasperated?

Yes, it’s that time of the year again when the technology community goes mad over the new iPhones. Interestingly, this year we’re also getting a ‘budget’ iPhone. The event wrapped up to much fanfare and there’s a lot to digest.

iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max

Yes, it's here, the new iPhone X. Meet the iPhone XS (pronounced 'iPhone Ten S'). You will be forgiven for not being able to tell it apart from the previous version. The iPhone XS has a 5.8-inch screen that's larger than the 5.5-inch screen of the iPhone 8 Plus, but smaller in size due to the non-existent bezels. The larger iPhone XS, dubbed the iPhone XS Max, has a 6.5-inch display and both are OLED displays as last year’s model.

The iPhone XS's brain is the Apple-made "A12 Bionic," a 7nm chip that sports a 6-core CPU, a 4-core GPU, and an 8-core machine-learning subchip called the "neural engine." The latter is designed to increase the performance of AI-heavy procedures like those required by Apple's mug-scanning Face ID as well as camera features like Animojis and Portrait Mode. The iPhone XS sports two new sensors on both its front-facingand its rear-facing cameras, but we’re not expecting a massive leap in performance. The iPhone XS starts at $1000, and the XS Max starts at $1100.

iPhone XR

The iPhone XR is the much-rumoured cheaper version of theiPhone X, made with aluminium instead of stainless steel and available in a handful of colours including red, blue, yellow, white, and black. It also has an edge-to-edge design, though this screen is of the LCD variety.

The iPhone XR also sports the same rear-facing wide-angle camera as the iPhone XS and the same A12 chip. Therefore, it should perform just as well as the more expensive version. The iPhone XR starts at $750 – which is still not cheap.

Apple Watch Series 4

Unfortunately we are still waiting for a round Apple Watch. They stick to their boxy design with the new iteration, with some minor tweaks and changes. The Series 4 includes, for the first time, an electrode that allows you to take an ECG by placing your finger on the watch's digital crown. The process takes about 30 seconds, and Apple promise that it will form an integral part of their bigger focus on health in the Series 4.

Thanks to its updated gyroscope and accelerator, the new Apple Watch also has a slip and fall tracking feature. There are also some minor upgrades in terms of screen size and brightness, better speakers and haptic feedback on the crown.